A police force has admitted mixing up the identities of an 18-year-old killed in a car crash with another teenager who survived the collision.
South Yorkshire Police said officers had wrongly told relatives of Trevor Wynn, 17, that he had died in the crash near Rotherham in December.
Meanwhile, the force incorrectly identified Joshua Johnson, 18, as having survived the collision, which also resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said the force had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) since identifying the error, adding that he was aware of “the additional trauma this may cause”.
Police were called to Todwick Road between Dinnington and Todwick in the early hours of 13 December after a silver Toyota Corolla crashed off the road.
At the time the force said a 17-year-old girl, who was driving, and a 17-year-old boy had been pronounced dead at the scene, while an 18-year-old male had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Wynn’s family were subsequently told he had died, while it was believed that Johnson was the male in the hospital receiving treatment.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the force said “concerns” had been raised about the identities of those killed.
A spokesperson said “information came to light” on Sunday, which prompted “further formal identification processes, including forensics, to be undertaken” and resulted in the mistake being identified.
McFarlane said he had since offered to meet with both sets of parents to discuss the matter.
He said: “This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone and we recognise the additional trauma this may cause.
“We are supporting Trevor and all the families through this and have engaged specialist agencies to help provide that support.
“I have also offered to meet with both sets of parents as I am sure they will have many questions, most of which we are not able to answer yet but we are absolutely committed to understanding how this happened so it cannot happen again.”
He said South Yorkshire Police would fully cooperate with any subsequent investigation by the police watchdog.
Wynn was not named publicly by police at the time of the crash, but was widely identified on social media and in local news outlets as having died in the collision.
The 17-year-old girl has not been formally named.
An 18-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 19-year-old arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in connection with the crash both remain on bail pending further enquiries.
The IOPC said it was assessing the referral to determine whether an investigation was required.
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